Trend of changes in epidermal biophysical properties in the Chinese aged 1 month to 17-year old.

BACKGROUND: Although it is known that epidermal biophysical properties vary with age and gender, the changes in epidermal biophysical properties over the time from baby to adolescence have not been elucidated yet. In the present study, we assessed the trend of changes in transepidermal water loss rates (TEWL), stratum corneum hydration, and skin surface pH in Chinese children. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: A total of 780 boys and 610 girls, aged 1 month to 17-year old, were enrolled in this study. TEWL and stratum corneum hydration on the forearm and the shin were measured with GPSkin Barrier, whereas skin surface pH was measured with portable skin pH meter. RESULTS: Overall, TEWL and stratum corneum hydration levels decreased, whereas skin surface pH increased in children from 1-month old to 17-year old. Significant decline in TEWL was observed on both the forearm and the shin of girls, and the shin of boys aged 13-17-year old. Similarly, marked decline in stratum corneum hydration levels started at ages of 6-12-year old. In contrast, decline in skin surface pH was observed in both girls and boys aged one to 12-month old except on the forearm of boys. Afterward, skin surface pH remained either stable or slight increase except on the shin of boys aged >12 months to 3-year old. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that both TEWL and stratum corneum hydration levels decrease, whereas skin surface pH increases in children aged 1 month to 17-year old. The changes in these biophysical properties vary with age, gender, and body site.

Correlation of Body Mass Index with Epidermal Biophysical Properties Varies with Gender in Chinese.

BACKGROUND: Epidermal function is associated with diabetes and renal disease. Whether obesity can reflect the changes in epidermal function is not clear yet. OBJECTIVE: We assessed here the correlation of epidermal functions with body mass index (BMI) in a large Chinese cohort. METHODS AND SUBJECTS: A total of 1,405 Chinese aged 21-98 years old were enrolled in this study. Epidermal functions, including transepidermal water loss (TEWL), stratum corneum hydration, and skin surface pH, were measured on the flexor forearm and the shin. Subjects' height and body weight were also measured. RESULTS: Age positively correlated with both TEWL and skin surface pH, while it negatively correlated with stratum corneum hydration on both the forearm and the shin of females. Similarly, age positively correlated with skin surface pH, while negatively correlating with stratum corneum hydration on both the forearm and the shin of males. In females, BMI positively correlated with skin surface pH, while it negatively correlated with stratum corneum hydration on both the forearm and the shin. However, BMI correlated neither with skin surface pH on both the forearm and the shin nor with stratum corneum hydration on the shin of males. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that correlations of BMI with age and epidermal functions vary with gender.

Altered Epidermal Permeability Barrier Function in the Uninvolved Skin Supports a Role of Epidermal Dysfunction in the Pathogenesis of Occupational Hand Eczema.

Although a compromised epidermal permeability barrier can contribute to the development of contact dermatitis, whether subjects with hand eczema display abnormalities in baseline epidermal permeability barrier function in their uninvolved skin remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to assess epidermal permeability barrier function in subjects with and without hand eczema in clothing manufacturers. Upon approval by the institutional review board, volunteers were recruited from clothing manufacturers in Guangzhou City, China. An 11-item questionnaire was used to collect general data from the volunteers. The diagnoses of self-proclaimed hand eczema were further confirmed by a dermatologist. Epidermal biophysical properties, including transepidermal water loss (TEWL) rates, stratum corneum hydration and skin surface pH were measured on the flexural surface of the left forearm in all volunteers. Epidermal biophysical properties were compared among cohorts of subjects with active hand eczema, a prior history of hand eczema and without any history of hand eczema. A total of 650 questionnaires were collected from 462 females and 188 males, with a mean age of 36.7 ± 0.46 years (range 16-69 years; 95% CI 35.8-37.59). Thirty-five subjects (5.4%) currently had hand eczema, while 28 subjects (4.3%) reported a prior history of hand eczema that was inactive currently. The prevalence of hand eczema did not differ significantly between genders. Neither a prior personal nor a family history of allergies was associated with the prevalence of hand eczema, but certain occupations and frequent contact with disinfectants were independently associated with the prevalence of hand eczema. In the overall cohort, males displayed higher TEWL rates and stratum corneum hydration levels than did females. Both skin surface pH and TEWL rates differed significantly among normal controls and subjects with active hand eczema or a prior history of hand eczema (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the uninvolved skin site of subjects with hand eczema exhibits abnormalities in epidermal perme-ability barrier, supporting a pathogenic role of epidermal dysfunction in hand eczema. Whether subjects with hand eczema in other occupations also display altered epidermal function on uninvolved skin remains to be explored.

Body Mass Index z Scores Correlate with Epidermal Function in Chinese Children.

Background/Objective: Epidermal function is altered in a number of cutaneous and extracutaneous disorders. To determine whether epidermal function is also altered in children with obesity, we assessed the correlation between the body mass index (BMI) z score and epidermal function in children. Participants and Methods: Participants were enrolled from outpatient clinic, schools and kindergartens. Epidermal biophysical properties, including transepidermal water loss rate, stratum corneum hydration and skin surface pH, were measured on the flexor forearm and shin. Correlations between epidermal biophysical properties and BMI were analyzed. In addition, the association of epidermal biophysical properties with BMI z score was also determined. Results: Overall, BMI did not differ significantly between boys and girls among the age groups. BMI z scores correlated negatively with stratum corneum hydration levels and positively with skin surface pH in boys, but not in girls. The negative correlation between TEWL and BMI z score was not significant. Moreover, stratum corneum hydration levels were lower in boys with a BMI z score of ≥2 than in those with a BMI z score of -2 to 0.99. Conclusion: Both stratum corneum hydration levels and skin surface pH are significantly correlated with BMI z scores in boys, but not in girls. Whether epidermal function influences BMI or vice versa remains to be determined.

Both Prevalence and Severity of Pruritus are Associated with Age in Chinese Patients with Skin Diseases.

BACKGROUND: Although the characteristics of pruritus in some skin diseases are documented, characteristics of pruritus related to gender-, age-, and skin disorder have not yet been well defined. OBJECTIVE: To characterize dermatosis-associated pruritus in Chinese patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a single center. The intensity of pruritus was evaluated using a 0-10 visual analog scale (VAS). Skin disorders were diagnosed by dermatologists. The prevalence and intensity of pruritus were compared among skin disorders, and between males and females. RESULTS: Valid questionnaires were obtained from 1,246 female and 864 male patients. Patients with acne, eczematous dermatitis, and urticaria accounted for 18%, 17%, and 14%, respectively. Both the prevalence and severity of pruritus varied greatly with skin disorders (p<0.0001). Patients with either urticaria or eczematous dermatitis displayed a higher prevalence of pruritus (92% and 82%, respectively), while subjects with urticaria exhibited the highest VAS in comparison to those with other skin disorders (p<0.05 to p<0.001 vs the others). Moreover, both the prevalence and severity of pruritus were positively associated with age in both males and females (p<0.0001). Furthermore, 60 out of 77 patients (78%) with topical glucocorticoid-induced dermatitis experienced pruritus, with a VAS of 2.03±0.21. Finally, a lower VAS was found in subjects with oily skin than those with either dry or normal skin. CONCLUSION: The prevalence and severity of pruritus vary with skin disorders, skin type, age, and gender in Chinese patients.

Wind-Driven Radial-Engine-Shaped Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Self-Powered Absorption and Degradation of NOX.

As one of the major air pollutants, NOX is rather challenging to remove. The main treatment method is catalytic reduction with plenty of reducing agents, which lacks any effective control in an open air environment such as urban spaces. It is necessary to seek a self-powered electrochemical process for environmental treatment. The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), a developing technology with various advantages, is widely used in energy and environmental monitoring and cleaning. In this work, a radial-engine-shaped TENG system with five stacked TENGs is designed to synchronously absorb NOX and degrade its main enrichment forms of nitrate and nitrite in aqueous solution. In addition, the system possesses inherent phase differences and outputs continuous direct current after rectification. Moreover, we demonstrated that, driven by artificial wind at a speed of 6 m/s, the NOX generated by a chemical method was effectively degraded by the radial-engine-shaped TENG system.

Prevalence and Severity of Dermatological Condition-Associated Skin Pain in the Chinese.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Although the characteristics of cutaneous sensory symptoms in the general population have been documented, dermatological condition-associated skin pain has not been characterized yet. In the present study, we aimed to characterize dermatological condition-associated skin pain in the Chinese. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A questionnaire was given to outpatients to identify self-proclaimed skin pain at our dermatology clinic. The severity of skin pain was assessed using pain scale 0-10. Prevalence and pain severity were compared between males and females. RESULTS: A total of 2144 patients, including 1254 females and 890 males aged 13-94 years, were included in this study. The overall prevalence of skin pain was 9.93% in this cohort. The prevalence of skin pain varied greatly with dermatological conditions (p<0.0001). Moreover, a higher prevalence of skin pain was observed in males than in females (p<0.05). Among the dermatological conditions reported, higher skin pain scales were found in subjects with either glucocorticoid-induced dermatitis (4.20 ± 0.73) or herpes zoster (4.00 ± 0.29). While the overall pain scales were comparable between males and females (2.38 ± 0.13 versus 2.68 ± 0.13), pain scales in patients with eczematous dermatitis were higher in females than in males (p<0.05). Furthermore, pain scales correlated positively with age. However, pain scales did not differ between subjects with versus without a family history of cutaneous sensory symptoms. These results demonstrate that the prevalence and severity of dermatological condition-associated skin pain vary with dermatological conditions and gender in the Chinese. CONCLUSION: Patients with some dermatological conditions may experience skin pain. Although the pain is moderate, it can negatively impact the quality of patients' lives. Alleviation of skin pain should be considered when treating patients with certain dermatological conditions.

Flexible and durable wood-based triboelectric nanogenerators for self-powered sensing in athletic big data analytics.

In the new era of internet of things, big data collection and analysis based on widely distributed intelligent sensing technology is particularly important. Here, we report a flexible and durable wood-based triboelectric nanogenerator for self-powered sensing in athletic big data analytics. Based on a simple and effective strategy, natural wood can be converted into a high-performance triboelectric material with excellent mechanical properties, such as 7.5-fold enhancement in strength, superior flexibility, wear resistance and processability. The electrical output performance is also enhanced by more than 70% compared with natural wood. A self-powered falling point distribution statistical system and an edge ball judgement system are further developed to provide training guidance and real-time competition assistance for both athletes and referees. This work can not only expand the application area of the self-powered system to smart sport monitoring and assisting, but also promote the development of big data analytics in intelligent sports industry.

Piezo-phototronic Effect Enhanced Photodetector Based on CH3NH3PbI3 Single Crystals.

Piezoelectric organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites have recently attracted much attention in the field of optoelectronic devices. However, their piezoelectric properties as a possible way to modulate device performances have rarely been reported. Here, we study experimentally a photodetector based on CH3NH3PbI3(MAPbI3) single crystals, whose performance is effectively modulated via an emerging effect-the piezo-phototronic effect, which is to use the piezoelectric polarization charges to tune the optoelectronic processes at the interface. A piezoelectric coefficient of 10.81 pm/V of the CH3NH3PbI3 single crystal is obtained. Under 680 nm laser illumination with a power density of 3.641 mW/cm2 and at an external bias of 2 V, compared to the case without straining, the light current of the photodetector is enhanced by ∼120% when a 43.48 kPa compressive pressure is applied. The response speed of the photocurrent is 3 and 2 times faster than the cases without applying pressure for the light-on and light-off states, respectively. This work proves that the performance of the photodetector based on MAPbI3 single crystals can be effectively enhanced by the piezo-phototronic effect, providing a good method for optimizing the performance of future perovskite-based optoelectronic devices.